Spec Mammalia: Multituberculata
History and Biology Multituberculates are an ancient form of crown-group mammals that evolved in the Middle Jurassic (but with a possible Late Triassic record) and spread across the world in a number of ground-dwelling and arboreal forms, as "the rodents of the Mesozoic". Although they are often classified as a broad group of mammals along with either the monotremes (egg-laying mammals) and therians (marsupials and placentals), multies possess a unique anatomy that places them somewhere between the two. Multituberculates are named for their teeth, which do not form grinding molars as in other mammals, but instead grow in parallel tracks, like the teeth of a comb. Multies do not grind their food with these teeth, but shear it back and forth with a truly bizarre group of facial muscles. They also do not gnaw with incisors in the upper jaw, as do rodents, but with a pair of teeth in the lower jaw. They are warm-blooded, fur-covered, and give birth to live young, but, like monotremes, multitubercuberculats lack nipples and dribble milk from patches of modified skin. Arboreal neoptilodonts are also known regurgitate food into the mouths of their tiny offspring in the same manner as birds. During the Tertiary, the multituberculates waned in power, with drastic reductions in diversity untill only three clades remained. While once the multies occupied virtually all of the world's rodent-like niches, they are now confined entirely to climbing Neoptilodontidae and the burrowing Taeniolabididae and Djadochtatheria. Of the three, only djadochtatheria is particularly diverse or succsessful. NEOPTILODONTIDAE (Multies) Although digga-dumdums and djads are also multituberculates, the neoptilodonts of North America were discovered and described when the other two groups were still unkown, and so are the only creatures commonly called "multies". These squirrle-like arboreal herbivores are reletively common in southern North America, with two species endemic to South America. possess flexible ankle joints that allow them to turn their feet backward while climbing trees, and their semi-sprawling posture gives them an almost lizard-like appearance. These multies lack prehensile tails, and are not as agile as primates, but they are superb nut-crackers, bringing their sharp lower teeth to bear and pulverizing all but the toughest seed-casings. Many neoptilodoont species are fruit-eaters, and have formed a closely-knit symbiotic relationship with fig trees (genus p- Ficus), which has spread the trees across much of North America and assured this weird group of mammals their immortality. The eastern flying multi is a small, but agile tree-dwelling multituberculate, most common in the forests of the Appalachians. This multi's most distinctive features are the flaps of skin running from wrist to ankle - not as extensive as those possessed by Arel's anomaluroid squirrels or phalangers, but sufficient for the animal to glide easily from tree to tree, in search of seeds to husk and eat. The eastern multi usually nests in small tree hollows, raising a single young at a time, but twins are not uncommon. The greater fig-multi is the largest of the multituberculates, with lengths often over a meter. These sinuous, furry near-mammals live only in the p-Ficus forests of Spec's southern North America, and their diet consists exclusively of the fruit these trees produce. Like the bats of South America, fig-multis are the principal vectors of fig generation. The multis eat the fruits, and may then travel for kilometers before dropping the seeds in their feces. Thus, the trees do not only gain the spread of their species, but fertilizer for their seedlings, as well. TAENIOLABIDIDAE (Digga-dumdums) Like so many other groups of Specworld creatures, digga-dumdums have proven frustratingly difficult to classify. A casual observer would probably place the lumbering digga-dumdum as a woodchuck or badger, but any further inspection of these heavily-built, deep-faced mammals would convince an observer that they are in no way related to these Home-Earth groups. A great deal more examination would be nessisary to asertain exactly what these creatures are. Taeniolabidid teeth are very strange, indeed. The inscisors, upper and lower, are the same size and shape as the surrounding teeth, while the grinding teeth toward the rear of the mouth are greatly enlarged and obviously mutltituberculate. These teeth are very deep-rooted, and grow constantly throughout the life of the animal, enabling it to tackle a range of abrasive foliage. Taeniolabidids, then, do not nibble or gnaw likexenotheridians, but chew their food rather like Home-Earth pandas. Taeniolabidids probably evolved during the Paleocene or Maastrichian in North America as woodchuck-like creatures. In our home time-line, these and all other multituberculates went extinct at the end of the Eocene, but unlike their counterparts in RL, Spec's multies failed to vanish and continued to thrive through the Cenozoic. By the Oligocene, the taeniolabidids had spread across Eurasia, and possibly to Africa, where they swept aside a number of early rodent-like lineages, only later to be pushed into the background (at least in some niches) by the xenotheridians. The Great American Interchange of the Pliocene brought taeniolabidids into contact with the burrowing xenarthrans, but there seems to have been little conflict involved in this particular mix. Digga-dumdums are almost exclusively herbivorous, while the xenarthran bullettes and armadillos are generally insectivorous, so the two clades have managed to coexist peacefully. A traveler in the northern prairies of Spec's North America is likely to see (or perhaps trip over) a number of mounded burrows that dot the landscape like miniature calderas. These burrows are the result of the labors of the prairie's largest mammal, the digga-dumdum. Digga-dumdums are taeniolabidids, a group of enigmatic multituberculates that have lived in North America since Mesozoic times. They are heavily-built and placid, with deep faces and powerful, ever-growing molar teeth that can pulverize even the toughest grasses. These creatures are huge by the standards of Specworld mammals, the largest bull males measuring a meter and half from snout to tail. They generally burrow under the soil, eating tubers and grassroots, but will often venture above ground to graze upon the grass. When predators threaten, a digga-dumdum will rear onto its hind legs and swipe at the attacker with powerful digging foreclaws. The claws of these normally peaceful herbivores are quite capable of ripping the face off of an unwary drak or errosaur, and the mammals usually go about their buisness unmolested. Like most taeniolabidids, digga-dumdums are monogamous, forming life-long couples during their third year and then constructing a permanent warren where they can live for another decade. Often, young digga-dumdums will expand upon the warrens made by their parents, untill an entire field is riddled with meter-wide holes. Of course, the entire ground sinks during the next heavy rain, creating a temporary "digga-bog" and forcing the architects of the disaster of move elsewhere. It is during such moves that the mammals are most vulnerable to predation, and their cycles of growth, excivation, flood, and retreat have become an intimate part of the ecology of the grassland. DJADOCHTATHERIA (Djads) Burrowing djads form the most diverse group of multituberculates on Spec. Although somtimes similar in appearence to the digga-dumdums, these burrowers are only distantly related, with roots that reach far back into the Cretaceous, when they were confined to Asia. Djads appear to have reached North America in the early Eocene, but didn't become common until later, when they swept into Europe in the Oligocene and northern Africa in the Miocene. Djads live on and in the ground, like RL's ground squirrels or prairie dogs and may be found in even the smallest grasslands throughout the northern hemisphere and much of Africa. Some species also dwell in temperate forest when the soil is not too damp. Despite their abundance, most djad species are difficult to find, because they all dwell in extensive burrows. They have good eyesight and are very alert, so the nosy spexplorer rarely sees them when they scurry about between the entrances of their burrows, running lizard-style with wide side-to-side swings or galloping croc-style. Especially in the gregarious species, individuals may be seen squatting on their hindlegs and tail and watching for danger. Djads are more exclusively herbivorous than RL's squirrel s, presumably because of their multituberculate cheek teeth which allow them to rasp grass, grass roots, all kinds of seeds and much other vegetable matter to powder; they frequently use their multituberculate enlarged premolar to saw open seeds and nuts in a way no rodent or xenotheridian can. In seasonally cold or dry regions, many species collect seeds and hide them for the winter, thereby helping many plant species in their dispersal. Steppe Djads Occurring throughout the steppes of Asia, steppe djads are a important prey for a variety of maniraptorans and mammalian predators. Female djads give birth to around 6 young in a grass-lined burrow, and within a month young are off on there own. Males are smaller, and distinguished by a pale, almost white pelage, with tawny feet and mask. Eastern Chipmunk-Djad (Tamiabataar striatus) Common throughout most of the deciduous woodlands of Eastern North America, chipmunk djads are frequent visitors to the camps of Spec explorers, pilfering whatever food is laying around, to complement there normal diet seeds, nuts, and small invertebrates. In appearance, chipmunk djads are with the striped backs and tawny pelage of Home Earth chipmunks, which gives the small multituberculates camouflage as they scurry about the forest floor. Unlike real chipmunks though, chipmunk-djads have sprawling limbs, as well as a more “sausage” shaped body, in common with their djad kin. Tamiabataar is a specious clade; despite only two species in the eastern half of North America, as many as 40 other species inhabit the mountains of the west, some species confined to single peaks. In addition, the genus also ranges down south into the mountains of Mexico, and several species occur in Japan and East Asia. Alpine Marmoset-Djad (Marmotabaatar alpinus) Living high in the alps, with related species across the mountains of Eurasia and North America, alpine marmoset-djads are medium sized djads, dwelling in colonial burrows in the Talus slopes above treeline. The presence of marmoset-djads can most easily be told by the mounds of grass left to dry among the rocks, to be later stored underground as winter provisions. Like all marmoset-djads, The males have more dramatic pelage than the females, having white-gray bodies, with black faces and chest. These djads have few predators at such high elevations, mostly predatory pokemuroids and Alpine Anti-Eagles, for which the djads have a distinct alarm call. Striped Grass Djad (Xerobaatar erythropus) Closely related to the Kilmanjaro marmoset-djads (which contrary to name aren’t closely related to the Holarctic marmoset-djads), this species shares many of the same habits and reproductive behavior of there mountain brethren. However, this species is more widespread, found throughout the Savannahs and scrub of Sub Saharan Africa. Living amidst the long grass, striped steppe djads colonies construct large networks of tunnels within the grass, along with burrows, whose total range may equal a football field or more in length. They may be readily identified by there checkerboard patterns of dark stripes over a tawny pelage. In addition, during breeding season the males turn a chocolate brown in color, with rufous underbellies and noses. Belchpig (Marmotabaatar monax) Spec’s own groundhog, sometimes known as the Chuckie, is one of the largest djads in the world, massing upwards of 8 kilograms in weight. A burrower that inhabits meadows and woodlands edges, the belchpig spends nearly the entire summer and fall fattening itself on nuts and acorns, in preparation for the long hibernation ahead. One of the most distinctive characteristics of this species is the lack of bright breeding colors or displays among the males; this is believed to be an adaptation to not drawing the attention of predators, given its unusually large size for a djad, and it rather slow waddling gate. belchpigs never stray far from a convenient burrow. However, to compensate for this, the males have a unique and loud call, most reminiscent of a human belch. These features suggest a very basal position within the djads, as most are mute; either that, or djads might not be as mute as previously believed. This call is used to attract and show off to females, and belchpigs can most easily be observed on mounds in front of there burrow in late spring, letting off there sexy, loud burps for all females to enjoy. Kilimanjaro Marmoset Djad, (Xerobataar altalpinus) (Africa) The marmoset djads of Kilimanjaro, are 40 cm multituberculates may be found among the roots and low stems of their home mountain's alpine meadows. These djads feed mostly upon the milky seeds of grasses and use the stems to build ball-like nests. The nests are usually located in deep within grassy tussocks and are used by females to give birth to a litter of usually 6-8 pups. The nests are mostly found empty by scientists as mother djad retreats to their underground galleries as soon as the babies are born. Male marmoset djads are often smaller than females (10 cm + tail; 15 cm + tail), but are usually much vivid in coloration, as their fur is mainly fiery golden with a mix of rusty reds and browns, in contrast with the earth brown and ochre, bulkier female. Djads are fiercely territorial and, like many multituberculates, use visual symbols as the basis for their displays. Although these djads are virtually mute, their broad ears are very sensitive to sound. The isolated microhabitats of Kilimanjaro have lead to a number of X. altalpinus subspecies, each inhabiting a different segment of the mountain's slope. These varieties range from the large, rock-colored X. a. hyracoides to thesilver-white X. a. fulgidus, which inhabits the frozen lands of the mountain's central plateau. Common across the plains of North America, white-tailed prairie djads live in large communities, digging extensive networks of tunnels deep into the grassland soil. - Daniel Bensen, Morgan Churchill, David Marjanovic, and João Boto ---- Works Referenced: Toby White's, Multituberculate Notes Category:Spec Dinosauria Category:Alternative timelines Category:Alternative evolution Category:Alternate History Animals Category:Animals Category:Mammals Category:Allotheres